Middle School

All Rising Middle School students are expected to read at least 20 minutes a day. Audiobooks are acceptable. There are two required books and a third one to be chosen from the lists at the bottom of this page. We know you will have fun choosing and reading lots of books. We encourage everyone to go to the library. We encourage families to read alongside each other and to read out loud to each other. You might consider listening to audiobooks together on long car rides.

PART I: Everyone reads the two books below

Everyone who attends Westfield Friends School is to read Wonder Walkers and take a wonder walk. In addition, the Middle School faculty has selected Wild Oak, by C.C. Harrington as the fiction book that all rising Middle School students will read this summer. This book won the Schneider Family Book Award for Best Middle-Grade Title in 2023. Wild Oak is a story of healing, courage, and a touch of magical realism within a Cornish forest. All Middle School Students will complete a written response to ONE of the questions described below and hand it in on the first day of school. Your response should be at least two paragraphs in length.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

Early on, the reader discovers the novel is told from a dual POV (there are two points of view). The chapters switch between Rumpus, the snow leopard, and Maggie, the girl with the stutter. Discuss the structure of the novel and how the dual POV creates a connection between Maggie and Rumpus.
Identify FIVE literary devices in the novel and explain their impact. For example, you might find similes, metaphors, irony, or onomatopoeia. Explain how each literary device helps the reader better understand the novel.
Maggie’s Grandpa Fred, a country doctor, and amateur naturalist, turns out to be a blessing in disguise. Discuss the impact that Grandpa Fred has on Maggie and on Rumpus.
While Maggie and Rumpus are essentially the two main characters of Wildoak, some might say the setting of the magical forest is also a major character. Cite THREE pieces of evidence that defend the claim that the Cornish Woods or Wildoak Forest is also an essential character in the novel.
The interconnectedness of humans, animals, and the natural world is an essential theme of the novel. What are TWO takeaways about the interplay between these three? What are TWO universal messages the author wants her audience to take away about the interconnection between humans, animals, and the natural world?

PART 2 - Everyone reads one non-fiction book from the lists below

Rising 6th Grade Students: You are expected to read ONE of the NONFICTION books selected from the list below. You will send an email to your language arts teacher, Teacher Kristin Parry ([email protected]), when you’ve completed your chosen book. The email should include a sentence or two about the plot along with a short review of the book including why you did or did not like the book. You must have your email sent by August 19th.

How We Got to the Moon ~ John Rocco

The Reason I Jump: The Inner Voice of a 13-Year-Old Boy with Autism ~ Naoki Higashida

Songs of America: Young Reader's Edition: Patriotism, Protest and the Music that Made a Nation ~ Jon Meacham & Tim McGraw

Hidden Figures ~ Margot Lee Shetterly

The Beautiful Struggle (Adapted for Young Adults) ~ Ta-Nehisi Coates

Invisible Enemies: Stories of Infectious Disease ~ Jeanette Farrell

Unbroken (The Young Adult Adaptation): An Olympian's Journey from Airman to Castaway to Captive ~ Laura Hillenbrand

Rosalind Franklin: The Dark Lady of DNA ~ Brenda Maddox

Everything You Wanted to Know About Indians But Were Afraid to Ask: Young Readers Edition ~ Anton Treuer

Rising 7th & 8th Grade Students: You are expected to read ONE of the NONFICTION books selected from the list below. You will send an email to your language arts teacher Teacher Carl Abramowitz ([email protected]) when you’ve completed your chosen book. The email should include a sentence or two about the plot along with a short review of the novel including why you did or did not like the book. You must have your email sent by August 19th.

NONFICTION TITLE	AUTHOR	ABOUT THE BOOK…
Hurricane: My Story of Resilience (I, Witness)	Salvador Gómez-Colón	Suffering heavy damage in the wake of Hurricane Maria in 2017, Puerto Rican communities lacked access to clean water and electricity. Salvador Gómez-Colón couldn’t ignore the basic needs of his homeland, and knew that nongovernmental organizations and larger foreign philanthropies could only do so much.
Accused: My Story of Injustice (I , Witness)	Adama Bah	Adama Bah grew up in East Harlem after immigrating from Conakry, Guinea, and was deeply connected to her community and the people who lived there. But as a thirteen-year-old after the events of September 11, 2001, she began experiencing discrimination and dehumanization as prejudice toward Muslim people grew. Then, on March 24, 2005, FBI agents arrested Adama and her father. Falsely accused of being a potential suicide bomber, Adama spent weeks in a detention center being questioned under suspicion of terrorism.
Courage: My Story of Persecution (I, Witness)	Freshta Tori Jan	As a girl and as part of an ethnic minority in Afghanistan, Freshta Tori Jan was persecuted relentlessly. Her family faced kidnappings and daily murder attempts on the bus, on the way to school, in the workplace, and beyond. Freshta’s school was shut down by the Taliban, and many of her friends were murdered and shot. Her journey through poverty, terrorism, and other forms of injustice has enabled her to be a voice for those unable to share their stories and those unable to receive the opportunities she has sought. She believes in empowering youth in order to bring about change and be the leaders of today and tomorrow.
Resistance: My Story of Activism (I, Witness)	Frantzy Luzincourt	Born in Brooklyn, New York, to Haitian immigrants, Frantzy Luzincourt has dedicated his life to service and the empowerment of youth voices. When he was fifteen, Frantzy became the founding president of his high school’s Black Student Union, where he advocated for more Black male teachers and for bringing social justice into school curriculum. Frantzy now fights to ensure that all students, no matter their background, have access to equitable schools where young voices are championed. After the murder of George Floyd in 2020, Frantzy and his friends formed the Strategy for Black Lives coalition, which centers youth voices and mobilizes communities to fight against racism, discrimination, and inequity. His passion for education and criminal justice reform are integral to his identity as a young Black man.
Vision: My Story of Strength (I, Witness)**	Precious Perez Please note, this book will not be published until August 8, 2023	Ever since Precious Perez was a child, she has loved to sing. Born and raised outside Boston, her family joked that she’d eventually study at Berklee College of Music. But when a high school music teacher advocated for Precious’s talent, her dream became a reality. Precious was born two-and-a-half months premature and weighed just one pound. Her eyes did not develop fully, and she is blind. Growing up, most people focused on what Precious could not do because of her disability. With her teacher’s support, Precious realized all the things she could do with her disability–starting with attending Berklee.

Other Book Lists

"How to Raise a Reader" guide from The New York Times

ALA Notable Children's Books 2023

ALSC Summer List for Birth-PreK 2023

ALSC Summer List for K-2 2023

ALSC Summer List for 3rd-5th 2023

ALSC Summer List for 6th-8th 2023

Horn Book 2023 Summer Reading List

Graphic Novels For Children 2022

Our hope is that your student will participate in your local reading program this summer.

Here are a few examples.

Located at the Burlington County Library in Westampton. StoryWalk® is an outdoor reading experience created to promote physical activity, early literacy and family time together in nature.

Mt. Laurel Library's summer reading program begins in late June and includes prizes. There are a host of activities open to everyone listed on their website calendar.